Backyard Chickens
Everything we’ve learned keeping a happy, healthy flock.
We keep more than 50 chickens across four coops, plus ducks and geese, between our farm and our home in Knoxville. They live right alongside our gardens, and they have taught us a lot.
This page gathers it all in one place: setting up a coop, keeping it clean, getting through molting and winter, the treats we make, and what to know about eggs. Start wherever you are.
New to chickens? Read these first.
The basics we wish someone had told us, plus a tour of how our coops are set up.
Beginner Chicken Keepers Alert: Top 5 Tips!
It’s that time of year!!! Are you embarking on your chicken-keeping journey? Here are five essential tips to that I have found make all the difference…
Chicken Coop Tour & Products
We thought a good coop tour might be a fun way to end our chicken week celebration of our first farm fresh eggs. Our hens are really revving up produc…
Chickens, Ducks and Geese in the Garden: How to Make It Work
Chickens, ducks and geese can share a garden with you, and the garden is usually better for it. What they do for your soil and pests, what they will d…
Coops, bedding and keeping it clean
A clean, dry coop is the single biggest thing you can do for a healthy flock.
Spa Day for My Chickens – Nesting Box Set-Up
Spa Day for my chickens! At Sweet Bombdiggity Farms, we believe our animals deserve the very best, our Knoxville hens are no exception! After all, they…
My Go-To Recipe for an Awesome Chicken Coop Cleaning & Refresh
Here’s how I keep my little silkie flock happy and healthy in their coop with my favorite supplies from Eaton Pet & Pasture. I love their products and…
6 Essential Tips for a Sparkling Clean Chicken Coop!
1⃣ Mask Up for Safety : Always wear a mask while cleaning to avoid inhaling dust, feathers, and harmful pathogens. Protecting your respiratory health …
Winterizing My Chicken Coop Like a Pro
It’s that time of year again, time to get my chicken coop ready for the chilly months ahead! Winterizing your coop is essential for keeping your flock …
Spoiling My Feathery Friends: A New Perch for the Coop
If you’ve been following my chicken-loving journey, you know that my adoration for these feathered beauties knows no bounds. From morning clucks to ev…
Building a New Home for Our Silkies: The Walk-In Chateau from Producer’s Pride & Tractor Supply
We recently took on an exciting project for our beloved silkie flock, a brand new coop from Tractor Supply. It’s the Walk-In Chateau by Producer’s Prid…
Our Chicken Coop Pizza Party Was a Clucking Success!
Recently, we hosted 20 amazing students at our home for a chicken coop-building pizza party! It was such a fun day filled with teamwork, laughter, and…
Molting, cold weather and broody hens
What changes through the year, and what to do about it.
Molting: Why Your Chickens, Ducks and Geese Look Rough and Stop Laying
Why birds lose their feathers every fall, how long it lasts, what it looks like on hens, roosters, ducks and geese, what to feed them through it, and …
Caring For Your Chickens in Cold Weather!
It’s no secret that I adore my chickens and as the cold revs up they require some special attention to ensure their health and comfort. Here are some …
Tips for Caring for Your Broody Hens
My sweet broody hen and Silkie angel Annie wants babies SO badly. She’s collecting everyone’s eggs and doing her best to stretch her tiny Silkie body …
Introducing the BombDiggity Broody Brew!
The Bombdiggity Brew for Broody Hens is just a fun treat for your flock when the cold hits and they need a little extra!
Understanding Cross Beak in Chickens
Meet Babs. She is one of our new silkie chicks and was a fast favorite of mine because of her sweet demeanor. Unfortunately Babs has what is called Cr…
Spoiling them a little
Treats we make for the flock, and the extras that actually help.
Chicken Salad for Pampered Chickens
Good morning from Sweet Bombdiggity Farms, where the chickens get pampered just like family! Our feathered friends can’t get enough of the special chi…
Make this Breakfast Treat for Your Spoiled Chickens
Whipping up a chicken feast with some kitchen finds: older eggs, strawberries, a dash of red pepper flakes, and stale sourdough! Our girls love their …
Why Chickens Love Pumpkin (And Why You Should Too!)
Why you should feed your chickens pumpkin (and you too!) plus fun video of chicken pumpkin carving! Happy October, friends.
Baking Eggshells for the Garden and Your Chickens
Here’s a simple guide to turn your eggshells into a useful supplement for your garden and chickens. Steps: ① Rinse your eggshells to remove any egg re…
Do you feed your duck this superfood? Brewers Yeast
Do you feed your duck this superfood? Brewers yeast offers so many benefits to your duck friends.
Eggs, Silkies and the breeds we love
How long farm fresh eggs last, which breeds lay which colors, and why we fell for Silkies.
How Long Do Farm-Fresh Eggs Really Last? (PART 1)
In honor of our first fresh eggs on the farm let’s talk a little about eggs. These unwashed eggs can sit on your counter and be just fine for 2-3 week…
Farm-Raised Eggs vs. Store-Bought Eggs: A Comparison (PART 2)
Let’s crack open (see what I did there?) the truth about farm-fresh eggs and uncover a bit about why these nutritional powerhouses stand head and shou…
Perfect Peel Method for Farm Fresh Eggs
Making deviled eggs this Thanksgiving? Farm Fresh eggs are notoriously hard to peel (because they are so fresh!) but here is a great method. They peel…
Nature’s Easter Eggs & The Breeds that Lay Them
Who needs to color eggs for Easter when our hens do it naturally? We never tire of gathering their vibrant blue, greens, browns, cream and even pink e…
5 Fun Facts About Silkie Chickens
I have raised chickens for a few years now, but I added silkie chicks in February from my friends @tractorsupply. It’s been a joy watching them grow a…
New Silkie Chicken Adventures at Sweet BombDiggity Farms
Hey farm friends! We’re diving headfirst into our #farmingafter50 adventure again and this time, oh boy, is it fluffy! We’ve are raising about 30 Silk…
Surprise December Baby Chicks Update
Our December surprise chicks are growing and thriving! Opal is the most attentive mama, and her little ones are doing so well. Nogg, our first chick, …
The Importance of Friendship: A Tale of Ducks and Hollywood
Everyone needs a friend, right? This tale of a rescue duck and her new gal pals will warm your heart. It’s a tale of ducks and Hollywood legends…
In our coops every day
Purina: every flock we keep eats Purina, and we trust the research behind every balanced feed.
Eaton Pet & Pasture: USA-made hemp bedding, compostable aspen nesting pads, Roost Refresh and Revitalime. Use code BOMBDIGGITY for 20% off.
Some links earn us a small commission. We only share what we use ourselves.
Chicken questions we get
How long do farm fresh eggs last?
Unwashed farm fresh eggs keep on the counter for about 2 to 3 weeks and in the fridge for up to 3 months. Once washed, keep them in the fridge and use them within about 2 months. We wash ours right before we eat them.
Why did my chickens stop laying in the fall?
Usually it is molting. As daylight shortens, birds drop their old feathers and grow a new set, and since feathers are mostly protein, laying slows or stops for a few weeks. Give them extra protein, fewer treats and some quiet, and they come back better than before.
How do I keep chickens warm in winter?
Keep the coop clean and dry, since moisture from droppings can freeze and chill the birds. Flat 2×4 roosts let them cover their feet while they sleep, and a little scratch grain in the evening helps them make their own heat.
What should a beginner know before getting chickens?
Give them a roomy coop and run, use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire to keep predators out, buy a feeder and waterer big enough that they never run out, and choose breeds that suit your climate.
Pull up a chair.
A letter from our place to yours, every other Thursday, with what’s happening in the coop and the garden.